Environmental Impact

The use of petroleum products
does not just impact the day to day lives of humans, but rather every living
thing on planet earth.

The environment is in great peril. Enormous amounts of pollution and
environmental degradation has occurred as the direct result of the use and
extraction of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide, one of primary gases emitted
when oil and other fossil fuels are burned, is the principle culprit of the
environmental degradation seen today, as it is responsible for trapping more
heat within the earth’s atmosphere, contributing significantly to global
warming and air pollution. As Global Warming continues, scientists predict
an increased desalination of the ocean due to the rapid melting of glaciers,
which will inevitably harm all forms of aquatic life. There is also a
correlation between increased ocean temperatures and exceedingly ferocious
weather patterns. As temperatures continue to increase, altering fragile
habitats for animals and plants, and ecosystems continue to be destroyed,
all living organism will feel the impact. “By 2050, rising temperatures
exacerbated by human-induced belches of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases could send more than a million of Earth's land-dwelling plants and
animals down the road to extinction” (Roach, 2004). The burning of fossil
fuels also affects the quality of air in which we breathe. Excess Nitrogen
dioxide and Nitric Oxide, can irritate lungs, cause bronchitis, pneumonia,
and decrease resistance to respiratory infections, as well as create smog (UCS,
2002).

Not only does the practice of burning oil pollute the planet, but
in the process of

extracting oil, there
are often many environmental consequences. Think back to 2010 and the BP oil
spill that occurred off of the gulf coast. Almost five million barrels of
crude oil was released into the ocean (Hoch, 2010), before the leak was
capped. The result of this environmental catastrophe was the death of
countless aquatic animals and birds, as well as potentially creating many
“dead zone” pockets in the ocean that are devoid of oxygen, and as a result
life (Disaster in the Gulf, 2010). Oil spills of this nature are rare, but
smaller oil spills occur every day. The EPA estimates that there are 70 oil
spills daily.

Extracting fossil fuels can also have significant negative impacts on the planet. Mining for coal, especially strip mining, adversely impacts the area that is being mined. Typically, the material closest to the coal is acidic. Once mining is finished, the surrounding land will remain infertile unless special measures are taken to ensure that proper topsoil is used when and if the area is replanted (UCS, 2002). There are also considerable health risks associated with the individuals that mine for fossil fuels, as many of the area being mined are very dangerous and accidents are common. Also, miners are exposed to many toxic substances, which can lead to cancer, black lung, and death. Untapped sources of fossil fuels like methane hydrates and shale oil are also cause for some environmental concern as shale fired power plants emit considerable amounts of greenhouse gasses. In addition, extracting shale oils can negatively impact ground water resources.

(Click to see a larger version)
The shape of the country shows the relative cumulative CO2 emissions since
1751.
The color of the country shows the CO2 emissions for one year, 2004. Red is
the most, green is the least.